1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a touch sensitive switch, and more specifically, to a conductive plastic sensitive touch switch integrated with the surface of a control panel by a multi-shot mold process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle accessory input controls typically consist of devices which require rotating a control knob, depressing a control button, or sliding a mechanical or electro-mechanical control switch to operate or adjust a vehicle accessory device. An exterior casing or oversize buttons and knobs are typically used to dress up and conceal the gaps between the bezel and the movable components of the input control devices. Despite the addition of these facial coverings to make the appearance presentable and visually appealing, the plurality of interlocking components leaves way for dirt and debris to lodge in the gaps and crevices between these interlocking components. Devices such as appliances have been known to use switches under the surface of a fascia of the appliance to create a sealed environment, however, these devices have been limited to a physical press and release operation.
Capacitance sensors have also been for switch actuation. A capacitance sensor disposed under a surface fascia creates an electric field above the surface fascia. If an object is displaced within the electric field, a change of capacitance indicates a request by an operator to actuate a switch. Because the capacitance sensor and the fascia unit are separate components, both units are assembled together at some point during an assembly process. As a result, a misalignment condition due to assembly errors or component stack-up tolerancing can occur between the capacitance sensor mounted below the surface fascia and the expected manual activation region identified by an exterior marking on the surface fascia. This ultimately can lead to non-activation of the switch if the object is not properly placed within the generated electric field and dissatisfaction of an operator in attempting to actuate the switch.